COSMOS 886 DEB

COSMOS 886 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1976-12-27 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on the IS launch. After more than 50 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 481 km and 847 km with an inclination of 65.6°. It travels at approximately 27,098 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.69 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, COSMOS 886 DEB poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites in nearby orbits and is continuously monitored by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and other tracking systems.

COSMOS 886 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 664 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of COSMOS 886 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 649 active payloads and 1,129 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 65.6°, COSMOS 886 DEB passes over latitudes between 65.6°N and 65.6°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,287 active satellites in total, of which 13 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 886 DEB.